"Isn't Three Days Actually Four?" Unexpected 'Sahul' Controversy Over Temporary Holiday Designation

On the 21st, President Moon Jae-in is presiding over a Cabinet meeting at the Blue House. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Min Jun-young] With August 17th designated as a temporary holiday, confirming an extended holiday from Liberation Day (August 15th) through the following Monday (August 17th), an unexpected controversy over the term 'sah-eul' (three days) has erupted online.

On the 21st, President Moon Jae-in presided over a Cabinet meeting at the Blue House and deliberated and approved the 'Proposal for Designating Temporary Holidays for Government Offices,' officially designating August 17th as a temporary holiday.

As a result, there will be a three-day holiday including the weekend, from Saturday's Liberation Day through Monday.

However, after articles reported that people could rest for three days, various online communities and social media reacted with comments such as, "If you rest on the 15th, 16th, and 17th, that's three days, so why are they lying about 'sah-eul'?", "Isn't this a news misreport?", and "Isn't it actually four days off?"

If you look up the meaning of '사흘' registered in the Standard Korean Language Dictionary, it means 'three days' in Korean. Photo by Naver Dictionary capture

The term 'sah-eul' registered in the Standard Korean Language Dictionary means 'three days' or literally 'three days' in Korean.

The traditional Korean counting of days goes as follows: 'haru (one day), iteul (two days), sah-eul (three days), nah-eul (four days), datsae (five days), yeotsae (six days), ire (seven days), yeodeure (eight days), ahre (nine days), yeolheul (ten days)'.

From the 11th onward, it is 'yeolharu (eleven days), yeolit-eul (twelve days), yeolsah-eul (thirteen days), yeolnah-eul (fourteen days), yeoldatsa (fifteen days, also called boreum), yeolyeotsae (sixteen days), yeolyeodeure (eighteen days), yeolahre (nineteen days)', and the 20th is called 'seumu-nal'.

Also, from the 21st, it is 'seumu-haru (twenty-one days), seumu-iteul (twenty-two days), seumu-sah-eul (twenty-three days), seumu-nah-eul (twenty-four days), seumu-datsa (twenty-five days), seumu-yeotsae (twenty-six days), seumu-ire (twenty-seven days), seumu-yeodeure (twenty-eight days), seumu-haeure (twenty-nine days)', and the 30th is called 'geumeum'.

Regarding this, netizens online pointed out, "If you don't know, look it up before commenting," and "Not knowing the meaning of 'sah-eul' and causing a fuss is tantamount to illiteracy in the 21st century."

Meanwhile, on the same day, President Moon said while approving the temporary holiday designation, "We considered that Memorial Day and Liberation Day coincided with the weekend, reducing the number of holidays when people could rest," and added, "I hope this small comfort reaches the people who are enduring inconveniences quietly for everyone's safety."

He continued, "I also hope this holiday will not forget the solidarity and consideration for those who must protect quarantine sites, those who have to work without a break during the holidays, and those who cannot close factory or store doors."